Abstract

In the selective laser melting (SLM) process, a three-dimensional part is manufactured based on the formation of numerous molten tracks. Consequently, the generated melt pool in the scanning process of each track exhibits close relation to the internal defect formation and the quality of the fabricated part. In this study, a numerical model of single-track scanning of the SLM process is presented to analyze the melt pool characteristics for various process conditions. The presented model considers the thermal behavior of the powder material including the phase change and densification during the SLM process. The temperature-dependent energy absorption and the increase in effective energy absorptivity due to the keyhole mode melting are also incorporated in the heat flux model to evaluate the process conditions in the presence of high energy density. Moreover, the single-track specimens were manufactured under various process conditions for validation of the proposed model. The predicted melt pool dimensions, as well as the melting modes (Conduction/Keyhole), demonstrated good agreement with the experimental measurements. Based on the analysis results, the process boundaries (Keyhole/Lack-of-Fusion) for the SLM process of AlSi10Mg are provided and the potential application of the proposed model for exploring the process window is discussed.

Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call